


Hidden Secret

by orphan_account



Category: Life with Derek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25378558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: This story takes a look into what could have happened after the episode "How I met your step-brother." There is a period of time before Nora and George get married, where Derek and Casey must deal with their strong chemistry. Casey demands time with Derek to help smoothen out the transition before the families blend, but that one meeting ends up changing everything. One-Shot
Relationships: Casey McDonald/Derek Venturi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	Hidden Secret

* * *

Derek was becoming extremely irritated by the whole merger. It wasn’t that he disliked Nora, she actually seemed to make his dad happy. He just couldn’t stand to be close to Casey. She was annoying, infuriating, and he could just imagine all the fighting that would come up because she decided to do the right thing and step aside for their parents. He walked home from Sam’s house, deep in thought. The day before Derek and Casey had planned to get their parents to break up by showing them they couldn’t get along, and it took him by surprise how fascinated he was by her. She was such preppy, in the way she dressed, how she did her hair, and how she talked but as they spent time together, he became increasingly aware that he was attracted to her. Behind the disengagement operation, he would be lying if he hadn’t considered the fact that maybe he would hit on her if they weren’t about to become a family. And for one moment, he was happy, even offered Casey cake off his fork! He couldn’t believe his own actions and reaction. He was so relieved, but of course, Casey had a conscious and she changed her mind.

Now there was no going back, they were going to become step-siblings, which caused a chill of disgust to go through him. After the dinner they had the night before, Casey pulled him aside and told him that maybe they could try hanging out a few times. Maybe they would see eye to eye and they could move in with the transition being as smooth as possible. She was so demanding! She expected that he would take time out of his busy summer plans just to hang out with her. He firmly rejected Casey, but her determination took his breath away, and before he could process anything he was agreeing to it.

When Derek got home he checked his email. She had told him she would communicate that way as if they were about to meet for a business meeting. His heart thudded as he saw an email from her. He smiled as he opened it, to find the most formal email he had ever seen.

_Dear Derek,_

_I hope you are doing well today, I just wanted to say thank you for doing the right thing yesterday. I know it must have been so annoying to see me change my mind like that, I am just confusing sometimes. As we discussed after dinner, I am interested in getting to know you better. Our parents will be getting married at the end of the summer, and I suggest we meet up once a week to have an in-depth discussion about how we can smoothen out the transition. We could meet tomorrow, as we are still going to be here. I am sure my mother would be thrilled that I am trying to get used to you. I don’t expect it to be fun, but it is necessary Derek. Please email back at your earliest convenience._

_Sincerely, Casey McDonald_

Derek couldn’t help but laugh, it had to be the nerdiest email, so impersonal but somehow he ended up re-reading until he had memorized every word. He was fascinated by the way she thought. He didn’t want to come across as desperate, so he walked away from his computer and didn’t respond until that evening. He needed to make sure he came across as distasteful as possible.

_Casey,_

_I don’t see the point in us trying to smoothen the transition, we know it won’t help, but I’m willing to try for my dad. Meet me at the mall, I have to buy some shoes. I might as well do all my annoying tasks at once. See you at 1:00._

_Derek_

* * *

Casey read the email, a little annoyed that Derek considering getting to know her as a chore. She tried her hardest to avoid the impulse to get to know him more, even tried talking herself out of it. Was there much more to know than what she already experienced? He was selfish, immature, and so Derek, but she couldn’t help herself. She needed to learn what kind of person she’d be living with in order to lessen her anxiety. She sent a quick confirmation and went to sleep. She thought about the night before, Derek was so annoying, he got under her skin immediately. However, it was baffling that after some time she had lightened up, and even had a few laughs. Derek seemed annoyed she changed her mind and backed out the operation, but seeing her mother break down was more than she could bear. She knew the guilt would have made her crazy.

The next morning Casey got ready, and went on to put on some blue eye shadow, and straightened her hair. She had really made an effort to look as plain as possible the day before, but that wasn’t truly her style. Her fashion was generally very preppy, but feminine and she loved doing her makeup and looking good. 

Lizzie walked into the hotel bathroom and looked at her questionably. “Are you going on a date?”

Casey shook her head quickly and forced a laugh of disgust. “A date? No, not even close. Going to meet Derek,” she explained quickly. “I’m just trying to make myself feel better, I hate the fact I have to get to know him. Believe me, it’s not exciting, not even a bit.”

Lizzie laughed. “Oh okay. Usually, when you wear blue eye-shadow it's because you are going on a date.” Casey looked at her with surprise, but Lizzie didn’t comment further. “Never mind. Hope you don’t kill him,” she giggled.

Casey took the bus to the mall and looked out for Derek. She stood at the front of the entrance and watched everyone going by, and the time ticked by. It was 1:15, Derek was already making a first bad impression. She hated people that didn’t value other's time. She crossed her arms angrily and waited. A half-hour went by and she frowned. Why was she waiting? Derek obviously didn’t consider this important in the slightest. Just before she was about to fume and go back to the hotel, she saw him walking towards her.

“Casey?” Derek asked with surprise, surveying her up and down. He was surprised by the change of appearance, she looked completely different. She was still a preppy, her long hair curved around her face and made her look very…….he didn’t even want to finish that thought.

Casey was glaring at him, her eyes forming slits of fire. “De-rek! Do you have any idea what time it is? You are a half-hour late!”

Derek laughed, and immediately realized her appearance might have changed, but she hadn’t. “Woah, easy princess,” he joked. “Chill a little won’t you? I’m here, you should be grateful I even came! I was watching an intense game of hockey and had to leave it for you.”

He reached for the door of the mall, and looked at her with a grin, “Are you coming?”

Casey was red in the face, clearly, he had already gotten on her bad side. “First off all, where did you learn your manners? No hello, no polite pleasantries, you didn’t even apologize for keeping me waiting. And I hate being called princess, never do that again,” she crossed her arms, and he tried not to full out smile at her tantrum but it was impossible. “I will stand here all day until you apologize.”

Derek rolled his eyes and moved closer. He realized she was completely serious but he wouldn’t let her have the upperhand, nor would he be a gentleman. He had to establish his dominance now, or else she would be walking all over him in no time. He approached her slowly and towered over her. Her eyes were flashing with anger, but he felt a little breathless the closer he got to her.

“Well, you will have to wait all day then, because I’m not going to be nice or polite to you not now, not ever. So either suck it up buttercup, or I can just leave now.” He stared down at her, and she stared back. Anger swirled through her, but also something else. There was a strange undercurrent as if fighting fueled some kind of unfurling tension.

She turned away from him then, “You know what?” I know enough about you, I’m going home. I don’t expect you to like me, ever, but there has to be some sort of basic decency between us. I don’t know why I expected anything other than what you are Derek. And don’t worry I won’t bother you again!” She said with a huff and turned on her heels.

Derek didn’t even know what happened, but he was suddenly reaching out for her and held on to her arm. “Okay, okay, you win this one,” he said softly as she slowly turned around and watched as he battled against his snarky ways. “Hi Casey, how are you? I’m sorry I was late, it won’t happen again.” Derek hated being the one to give in, it made him sick but then Casey smiled, her eyes sparkled with the glow of her victory and it made making a fool of himself worth it.

“There, it wasn’t that hard now was it?” And then she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the mall. “Now before we buy your shoes, I thought we could sit down and talk. I wrote out a list of discussion points I want to cover before we shop.”

Derek yanked his arm away from her but kept up with her brisk pace. “A list of points, could you be any weirder?”

Casey nodded happily as they made their way to the food court. She sat down across from him and reached into her purse and pulled out a binder. Derek stared at it, wondering at what point did she have time to do all that work. 

“Derek,” she was all business-like as if he was on an interview. “It became evident to me the other day that my indecision might have been annoying, but I’m sure you can understand. Our parents deserve to be happy. Even you have to agree with that right?”

Derek leered at her, leaning back. “Oh I do get it, but you can understand my frustration, right? I don’t want to share my territory with you, it’s as easy as that.”

Casey nodded solemnly, watching him as if he was her little science experiment. “Believe it or not I don’t want to live with you either, but that’s why I put this together. We can find ways to respect each other's space by following some rules.” She handed him the binder and he looked through it. She had laundry schedules, bathroom schedules, allotted tv times, a chore list, and one bold statement: In order to avoid fighting, we must avoid being near each other.

Derek snickered and eyed her, she looked so proud of her work. “You think it will be that easy to ignore me?” He asked with a little wink that completely took her off guard. “I know you are idealistic and from what I can tell you thrive off perfection, but you know once you move in, it’s my house. There is no escaping me.”

Casey knew it would be hard to avoid him, but they had to try. “I know it could be hard to avoid each other, but it isn’t impossible. I want to make the best of this, and it’s clear you and I won’t ever get along, am I right?” Although she asked that question truthfully, she was afraid to hear the answer. It bothered her to know he had such a strong objection to her, what did she ever do to get him to hate her so much?

Derek caught her gaze and fought against himself with what to say, but the truth was that Casey was a distraction. One that would be impossible to resist. “We probably will never get along,” he answered at last.

Casey looked sad all of a sudden, and she looked down at her notes, her eyebrows arched up in confusion. She took a deep breath, “Why do you hate me so much, did I do something?” She fiddled with the straps of her purse anxiously and at Derek's silence she slowly looked up. 

Derek felt lightheaded, he couldn’t hate her even if he tried. It was the complete opposite, but he could never tell her that. “I never said I hated you,” he said earnestly, “But you can’t deny we are too different to ever be able to see things the same way.”

“I’ve heard opposites attract though,” she blurted out and her blue eyes went round with surprise. “I mean…..I don’t say that in a romantic sense, but that is a saying,” she tried to explain but Derek was leaning back on that chair and smiling at her. His brown eyes were so soft and dark, beautiful eyes that glinted with mischief. She shook her head as the thoughts assaulted her mind.

“Is that so? Never thought of it that way,“ he said in a low voice. “All I know is it would be a miracle if you and I ever got along.”

Casey was a little embarrassed, but she needed to have the upper hand once more. “You are right Derek, it would be a miracle. Now I’m going to get some food, go ahead and go through the binder and if you have any questions we can discuss them” she said urgently. Derek watched her as she stood up and slightly tripped.

“Way to go Klutzilla,” Derek laughed behind her and she rolled her eyes and walked away and ordered some satay. She needed to recollect herself, she was showing she cared about Derek's opinion when it was the furthest thing from the truth.

When Casey returned with her food she realized there was a girl sitting across from Derek. The girl had a hand on his arm, and she was laughing. Casey felt an unsteady sensation fill her, who was he talking to? And why did it only take two seconds of being away for him to hit on someone? She marched towards them and stood by the girl, tapping her foot with annoyance. Derek looked up to see her, and the blonde girl looked at her with surprise.

“Oh, you have a girlfriend?” The girl asked with mock concern, “I had no idea,” but she kept looking at Derek as if he was a Greek god. Casey couldn’t believe how brazen she was, this girl would have tried with him whether he was single or not. 

Derek laughed loudly, “You really think someone like her would be my girlfriend? Please, she’s not my type, and it happens she will be my step-sister in two months. This is Casey, Casey, this is Donna. She goes to my school.”

Casey felt so angry over his blatant disregard of her as his type, it soured her in a way she couldn’t explain. Donna flipped her hair back and threw Derek an enchanting smile. “Well, do you maybe want to do something sometime?”

Derek gave her a seductive, intense smile. “Oh you bet, give me your number,” he turned to look at Casey who had a look of fury and annoyance on her face. Donna went into her purse and handed him a piece of paper. She got up and went over to him and kissed him lightly. He became rigid, he hated public display of affections. Donna pulled back and gave him a wave, not even bothering to look back at Casey.

Casey sat down with a slump and skewered Derek with a look. “You have horrible taste. It’s clear the girl has zero personality, a complete airhead. Don’t you want someone with something more to offer than just a dazzling smile and a large chest?” Derek chewed on his bottom lip and his eyes twinkled. Was she jealous?

“I happen to like Donna,” he explained lazily, “I don’t need a girl with personality, just someone hot."

She choked on her broccoli. “You’re so shallow, it’s unbelievable,” she said murkily. Derek shrugged and stole a piece of bread off her plate and ate noisily.

“Why do you care?” he asked as he chomped of the bread.

“I don’t care, you’re just a pig and it’s infuriating.” She refused to delve into the topic. “Now I assume you didn’t get a chance to look through my binder since that girl stole your focus.”

Derek laughed and pushed the binder away from him. “You can go right ahead and make all the charts, plans, and everything in between, but ultimately I don’t follow rules. Never have and never will, I will not bow to your demands, Casey. You are moving into my house, so you will go by my rules. I can do whatever I want, and you can stay out of my way. It’s simple.”

Casey had never dealt with anyone defying her, and it fueled her to want to win. Derek would regret not going by her rules, she would make sure of it. Casey smiled and leaned back, “We’ll see, I never lose,” she said defiantly.

Derek nodded, giving her a cocky expression. “It should be interesting then, because I never lose either. What I want I get, always.” Casey realized Derek would be harder to sway and that controlling him would be nearly impossible. It filled her with rage, but also something inexplicably exciting. Derek would make things very interesting, she’d just have to be smarter than him to win the upper hand.

“We’ll see, I am after all Casey Mcdonald and I am more stubborn than an ox, and I have great persuasion skills. I will have our parents on my side and that will be your weakness, Derek.” She was bold, impossible, and a pain in the ass, but Derek couldn’t help but smile. This girl was made of steel, he could just imagine the fights they would get into and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of adrenaline at the thought of it.

Derek pursed his lips and then smirked. “Bring it on, then,” he said in a low teasing voice that made her slightly dizzy. ”Now, in your email, you said you wanted to get to know me better. Did you have anything in mind?”

Casey wanted to know everything, it alarmed her. She wanted to know Derek Venturi, his very soul. She perceived that what he portrayed on the outside wasn’t all there was. “How about we ask each other three questions, and that will be it for today. First, though, let's buy your shoes.”

* * *

Derek followed her, and they browsed through different stores. Casey was charming but not in a conventional way. She talked a lot, she was easily excited about things that to him seemed normal. There was something about how her eyes lit up when he gave in and bought the shoes she suggested, how she did a little victorious jump on the spot. It was the way she got upset that people were cutting in line and gave that person a piece of her mind. When she bought an ice cream cone she was very specific on her sprinkles, and the guy scooping seemed annoyed, but Derek was completely smiling at her. Casey was……cute, so adorable. When she ate her ice cream he had to look away because she was licking it slowly, swirling her tongue as slowly as possible. It was torturous. The worst part was knowing that she was clueless, she wasn’t doing any of those things on purpose in a way to get his attention, but he was captivated by her.

“So, about the questions,” Derek brought it up slowly as they sat on a bench. He didn’t want the day to end, but he was beginning to get extremely distracted by her. “You go first,” he watched as she ate the last of her ice cream.

Casey grinned brightly and crossed her legs and turned to face him on the bench. “Alright, but you have to promise to answer the questions honestly. I don’t want to see your cool guy act,” she said bluntly.

Derek pretended to be annoyed, “I am always cool, it’s not an act,” he argued.

Casey giggled, “If you say so,” she gave him a taunting smile and he felt an agitation grow. A desperate gnawing to reach out and kiss that teasing smile off her face. “Alright, I would like to know, how did you deal with your parent's divorce?”

Derek leaned back on the bench uncomfortably, oh boy, he should have known her questions would be complex, just like her. He battled against himself, but she was giving him an encouraging smile so he gave in. “Well, I was 13 at the time. My mom moved to Toronto and since then I only see her on weekends. I guess I wasn’t surprised, they fought all the time. I just became very angry and rebellious, and my dad was constantly yelling at me. Believe it or not, I was not always so sarcastic or relied on comedy to get through the day. That became part of me after the divorce. I mean I was always a little brat, but according to my dad, I was a happy dude.”

Casey reached up and grazed his arm, moved by the fact he opened up to her. She didn’t know what she was doing, but she wanting to soothe him, make him feel better. He pulled his arm back and looked away. She was alarmed by her own reaction, why did she reach for him? "Derek, thank you for having the courage to tell me. I know it couldn’t have been easy. I suppose you used your sarcasm, your insults, and that rebellious streak to hide behind. It sounds like you were very hurt by it all, and you didn’t have a healthy way to release that anger. It makes me so sad for you.”

Derek didn’t like showing his sensitivities and he was shaking slightly at the vulnerability. Casey made it seem like it was okay to feel things, she wasn’t embarrassed for him or pitied him. He put on a smile, trying to collect himself to avoid her touching him again. “It’s all good. It was all for the best anyway. My dad seems happier with Nora.”

Casey wanted to hug him, but she knew it would be out of line. Derek found a security blanket with that sarcasm and jerk tendencies, and maybe it was too comfortable to get rid of. She saw a glimpse of the real him and felt overwhelmed by her reaction to him. She wanted to peel back those layers, who was he really? “Next question?” He prodded.

She could tell he was uncomfortable by the intensity of her questions so she decided to ask something less intrusive. “What are your dreams for the future?”

Derek smirked, “Honestly Case, I have none.” He seemed serious but Casey couldn’t leave it alone.

“Surely there must be something that excites you, something that drives you.” 

He smiled and laughed a little. Casey was staring at him like whatever answer he provided would be something wonderful, it was so strange. “It’s going to sound crazy but I do want to play hockey professionally. I know it’s very unlikely that I could ever become that great, but it is my dream. A very unlikely dream, but still something I think about. I am sure you have a million dreams lined up perfectly, but I’m not the planning type at all. Who knows where I'll end up.”

Casey smiled, noticing he was becoming relaxed. She could picture it, him being a hockey legend. It didn't seem outlandish at all. She found herself hoping he could achieve it. “No dream is ever too far out of reach,” she said softly. His chocolate eyes met hers and they stayed that way, looking at each other. She felt heat on her cheeks and he was taken back by her supportive words. There was a thickness of emotion in the air between them. His smile was so dazzling, and she stared at his dimple. A wild thought went through her mind, she wanted to kiss that spot, lick it, and she felt a blush bloom all over her face.

“Have you ever been in love?” She asked the question before she had time to properly reason.

Derek stared at her, she seemed embarrassed she asked, and he found it so endearing when she looked away and started rambling and apologizing. Derek put a hand to her lips, silencing her. The warmth of her mouth and the alert look on her eyes made him weak.

He pulled back his hand and let out a whooshing breath. “ It's all good, it's a good question." She stopped fumbling and turned back to look at him. "I don’t think I have ever loved anyone. However, there’s a possibility I may be falling for someone. And fast.” Derek hoped with all his might she wouldn’t question him further. The walls he built to keep her away were starting to crumble helplessly around him.

Derek was falling in love with someone, the words echoed in her mind and she felt disappointed. Who was this girl that had managed to steal his heart? She felt bitter, jealous and extremely protective. It had to be that Donna girl, she thought in despair. She didn’t want to know, so she nodded slowly. “Thank you for answering truthfully, Der. Now it’s your turn.”

Derek ran a hand through his hair, trying to get rid of the tension that was building in him. He wanted to get to know everything about her, who was she under her whole uptight persona? “Alright, Case. I’ll start with a simple question. You are very school focused, a complete keener, is there anything you like to do for fun?”

Casey raised an eyebrow, fun? She didn’t have time for fun, she had a specific grade curve to meet. “School is fun for me, Derek. Not that you would ever understand.”

Derek shook his head, chuckling lightly. “I know you find that fun Case. You’re strange for sure, I think we can both agree, but is there something normal you like to do?”

Casey thought about and then grin widely. “I love singing, dancing, and acting. Mostly dancing though, it is the way I let go of all those tensions and frustrations. “

Derek’s mouth dropped a little, she was a dancer? Oh dear God, how was he supposed to act indifferent around her in his house with the potential of running into her dancing? Just by what he could tell of her body, she was toned, flexible and sexy. He could just imagine her body moving and he couldn’t help it, different scenarios went through his head.

“I like dancers,” Derek said distractedly. As soon as he said that Casey’s eyes widened. “you will have to introduce me to your dancer friends then,” he added with a short laugh. She shouldn’t have been surprised, Derek was always thinking about girls. It annoyed her beyond belief.

“Next,” she said a little too harshly.

Derek folded his arms over his chest and was quiet for some time. “Why do you have such a need for everything to be perfect?” His gaze immobilized her, Casey wasn’t sure if she could share something so intimate with him. She couldn't take his jokes at a time like this.

She turned away from him, but he tugged on her arm insistently. “You can tell me, I promise not to mock you this once,” he said almost sweetly.

Casey had asked that question her whole life. “I am aware my tendencies can be annoying and complicated. I actually saw a shrink the last two years after the divorce. We talked through everything, and it turns out my need for perfection stems from a lack of control of the things around me. Mostly I strive for perfection because I feel so inadequate, like no matter what I do is good enough.”

Derek was quiet for a moment, and when she looked at him he wore a look of surprise. “Not adequate enough? You are smart, driven, and sure it’s annoying at times but the word inadequate does not go through my mind when I think of you. You’re strange, a keener, goody-too shoes, but you’re the best version of yourself already, you don’t need to try harder.”

Although Derek laced his words with his usual teasing, there was truth and sweetness. Casey felt a lump in her throat, she felt uneasy and he was giving her a supportive smile. She just couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Derek,” she said shyly.

Derek couldn’t believe he just consoled her, too much time with her had caused his inhibitions to go away. For a moment he forgot he was with his to-be step-sister. He was having fun, and to his surprise, it felt oddly like a date. It was too much to handle. He stood up and moved away from her, but Casey followed him. “You still have one more question,” she said urgently.

Derek shook his head, keeping his gaze focused on finding the exit. He needed to escape. “I don’t need three questions, I should go home Casey.”

“I told you too much, I made you uncomfortable,” she was anxious and he could tell by how her shrill voice. He could hear the tapping of her shoes as she followed him.

Derek couldn’t look at her though, he was too close to saying something he would certainly regret. “No, I promise that’s not why. A new game of hockey is starting in half an hour and I need to go, alright?” Casey reached for his hand, trying desperately to get him to look at her.

“Derek, please. I have closure issues, you have one more question,” she pleaded. Derek felt white heat go through him as he felt her hand tighten around his. He turned around quickly and moved closer to her. She backed up because there was a look in his eye that she had never seen before. A dark swirl of light, passion, and unbearable intensity crackled in his eyes.

“One more question, fine have it your way, but you’re not allowed to get mad at me,” he smirked as she fumbled an okay.

Derek needed to ask, it was too overwhelming. He had her cornered and she looked mortified by his closeness. “Have you ever been kissed? " His voice was so low she thought she misheard him. She stared in complete shock. "I bet a preppy, goody-good like you has never been kissed.”

* * *

Casey felt like she was dreaming. Surely Derek hadn't asked her something so deeply personal. He was looking at her with that grin, waiting for her answer and all she could do was shoot him a lava look, her head swimming. “I have so been kissed! How dare you suggest such a thing?”

Derek laughed, his body heat radiated over her and she had to remember to breathe. He smelled so good, and everything in her was clamoring to move closer to him. “Yeah right, I’ve been told you were at an all-girl school, how exactly could you have gotten any action?”

Casey’s cheeks flamed, she glared at him intensely. “It’s none of your business, Derek! For your information, I have been kissed more times than I can count!" Derek studied her and she started unraveling under his gaze, how did he know? Was it so evident she was clueless and inexperienced? She had been kissed before, but it barely counted.

Derek continued giving her a maddening smirk, he couldn't help himself. He had crossed a line and now he had to follow through. “Just curious, Case, but by your reaction, I think I hit the nail. You’re what 15? You should have had your first kiss by now.”

Casey was trembling with humiliation and she pushed at him angrily. He was making her angry and upset yet she couldn't move away from him, a wave of warmth went through her making her unsteady. Derek was making her dizzy, what was he trying to accomplish? “I am a romantic, I don’t just kiss random guys. I need to be interested, need to have a strong emotional connection!”

“Aw, I should have known you’re a hopeless romantic. Good luck getting anyone to kiss you. I don’t think you would suit anyone,” he knew provoking her was the only way to get him what he wanted. His logic had gone away, and there was only one goal in mind. He was close enough to kiss her, and everything felt blurry.

Casey was enraged now, she was deeply insulted. Her blue eyes flashed with anger. “How dare you?” she slapped his arm. “I am a woman of quality, and just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean others won’t. You would be lucky to have me!”

Derek couldn’t help it, and he knew she was right. He would be lucky to have her, and the attraction was killing him. “Would I now? Since you’re so inexperienced, and we are not yet in the same family, maybe you should get it over with.”

Casey's heart skipped a beat, surely he didn't mean what she thought. “What are you saying?” 

Derek's eyes dropped to her mouth. She felt a tremor going through her, and she swallowed painfully as his gaze remained on her lips. He whispered “I’m saying you could kiss me. I am a great teacher, and it doesn’t have to mean anything Case.”

Casey was rattled to the bone, but involuntarily she looked at his mouth, she bit her lip in response and he groaned inwardly. He looked so inviting, she felt herself lean in “Derek, it’s not right. We are going to become a family….it’s wrong,” she said with difficulty.

Derek cut her off, desperate to convince her. “We’re not a family yet. For all we know our parents could break up tomorrow. It’s just a kiss, it won’t mean anything." Everything in him screamed for her to just let him. One kiss. It’s all he wanted.

Casey couldn’t disagree with his logic. She felt a prickle go through her as she considered it. Maybe she wanted it, and for her own curiosity. “I mean sure there’s nothing wrong with it now, but what if you like it? Then we are trapped living under the same roof with you dying to kiss me again.”

Derek laughed at her confidence, a tear trekked down his cheek from how hard he was laughing. “Oh Casey, I could never want someone like you, ever. Plus I’m Derek Venturi, I have a short attention span. I never stay interested in anyone for longer than a few days at most. If anything, you’re the one that would have to be careful. I don’t think you could resist me.”

Casey’s heart was hammering. It hurt so much to see him disregard her completely. Challenge pumped through her veins, and she couldn't stand Derek's confident smile any longer. She was shocked at what she said next, “Alright, kiss me. I want to get it over with, and might as well be with someone insignificant so when I am ready to kiss someone I like, I don’t make a fool of myself.”

Derek’s smile wiped off his face and had the satisfaction of seeing him sputter. She took his hand and pulled him in. “When do you want to start, I’m available now,” she said in a hazy voice.

Derek cleared his throat but he could feel his heart thumping urgently. Casey looked so ready to prove him wrong, and in her eyes, he could see that she planned to kiss him, and have it affect him. He quickly covered all his emotions with a smirk. “A good kiss cannot happen in a parking lot, let’s go the park,” he said matter of factly. He tugged on her arm and before she realized what was happening she was following him.

They walked in silence, Casey was flustered. She was going to have her first kiss with Derek, of all people, she hated him. Hated his constant put-downs and his jerkish tendencies, but her blood was pounding at the thought of kissing him, and surprisingly not of revulsion.

Derek led her to a park and they went in a grove of trees that was protected from anyone being able to see. He wanted this. He wanted one kiss with her, maybe that was all he needed to get that fantasy out of his mind. It had to be psychological, he wanted what he couldn’t have and was certain that once the kiss was over , that illusion would also be shattered. And they could go forward to have a normal relationship. When they got to the grove of trees, he turned around and she stood there, a little smile hovered over her mouth. She looked so beautiful, it punctured his lungs.

"You sure you want to do this? No backsies," Derek said charmingly. Casey couldn't respond, just nodded. She was completely aware of every movement he made. She wanted her mind to go blank, but a current of emotions flooded her. 

Derek smiled dashingly, and as he moved closer to Casey he noticed her nervous breathing. “After this kiss, you and I pretend this never happened. Okay?”

Casey could only manage nod, she felt weak all over. “Just one kiss, but not a peck. It has to be a real kiss.”

  
Derek nodded, and the moment passed in slow time. He reached for her slowly, putting his arms around her, slowly pulled her against him. He was absorbed by her smell, there was a fruity, floral scent to her that made his head spin. He watched the shadow of her eyes become dark and inflamed. Her breathing came out in soft burst against his neck. He could stare at her all day, and he noticed a blush spread throughout her face. He was bombarded with the need to kiss that blush and follow it down her neck…..down her arms. His hands came up over her arms, gently caressing her, and then his hands went to her face, softly touching her hot cheeks. Her lips parted, her eyes looked dazed. One hand went to her hair and the other grazed the side of her neck. He could feel the crazy beat of her pulse. He closed the last remaining distance until his mouth pressed against hers.

Casey was trembling, she didn’t want to respond this intensely to him. She didn’t want to enjoy it, but his touches seared her. His gaze made her mind melt into mush, and then his mouth descended on hers. He kissed her gently, cautiously, but that kiss was enough to get her brain signals to stop. He kissed her a bit harder, gently nibbling her bottom lip. His breathing was staggered and she felt a twinge of delight spread through her. She suddenly pushed herself closer against him, and kissed him back, this time she wrapped her arms around his neck, and the kiss engulfed into flames. He kissed her with hot, open kisses, and she couldn’t stop the need, couldn’t stop herself from responding. She was melting in his arms, his tongue played with her own, and she was lost. Confounded by the taste of him. Their kiss escalated, and the next thing she knew, she was pressed against a tree. The heaviness of his body made her quake, and he kissed her wildly, desperately, his tempting mouth urging her to stop breathing and just submit to the kiss. Then his mouth went to her neck, and his hands went up and down her sides, she was shivering as he kissed up and down, flicking his tongue delicately against her throat. She moaned, she couldn’t help it, and she sought his mouth again, and he gave her want she wanted. His mouth was temptation, the kisses caused everything around her to cease to exist. This kiss was everything, passionate, but also deep, intense, and emotion-filled.

“Case,” he murmured, between kisses and it was at that point she realized how far they’d gone. She pulled back abruptly, breathing hard.

Derek’s smoldering eyes began to fade back to normal and she had to force herself to stay still. “I’m sorry Derek, we need to stop. You…..the kiss, it was so good. You were right, you’re a great teacher.”

Derek let out a smothered laugh, “Well, I was surprised how quickly you caught on, but again you are smarter than anyone I know. Should have known kissing would be something you would excel at.” Damn. Damn oh damn. How the hell was he supposed to forget that kiss? “But I have one more thing I need to teach you,” he said darkly. He returned to her mouth, and salvaged it, kissing her as if he was claiming her. She relented and couldn’t help it, she wanted to taste him, and she started sucking on his lips with vigor and passion and Derek let out a groan of pleasure. _Casey_ , he thought, _oh_ _god_ _Casey_ , _I want you_. _I want you with everything, and if this is the only moment I have with you, by god I’m going to enjoy this, enjoy you._ They kissed for what seemed like hours until Derek couldn’t take the tension anymore. If he continued, there would be no more going back.

He pulled back, and Casey mumbled something incoherently. He forced himself away and had the satisfaction of seeing her starstruck. “Well, that was something,” he murmured. “I hope you learned something,” he winked. Casey’s mouth was red and swollen from his kisses, and she looked dazed and confused.

Casey fixed her clothes, she couldn't believe what just happened. She could still feel everything, tingles surged everywhere “It was supposed to be one kiss,” she whined, “You took a million kisses.”

Derek tried to appear regretful, but he couldn't even hide his stupid smile. He was appalled by his own reaction to her. “You said you didn’t want a peck. I was just following instructions.”

Casey could finally think again. “Thank you Derek, I guess I’m ready to kiss others now,” she said with a cheery grin. Derek looked at her with shock, how could she possibly be thinking of anyone else? Did the kiss really not mean anything to her? “You promised to forget about this, right?” She inquired, hoping he would tell her it would have been hard to forget. 

Derek only managed to nod. “Already forgotten." The anguish ran through him. Casey felt the same anguish burning through her. He kissed her, gave her the most passionate moment of her whole life, and she had to pretend it was nothing more than just a kiss.

As they walked back to Derek’s house, there was silence. One day. One day with Derek and she had ended up kissing him. How could she handle being around him every single day? It made her bitter. She didn’t like Derek, he was rude, annoying, and she wasn’t developing any feelings either. It was just a physical reaction, and Derek was a guy, it was nothing more than that. As she told herself all those feelings, others arose in its place. For one moment she wished she had followed through on the disengagement plan. She would have to come to learn that this would be her new life.

“Der,” she said as they got to the front door. “I don’t think we should hang out until the wedding, I don’t think there’s more for us to find out about the other.”

Derek leaned against the door, and took a deep breath. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I never thought I’d say this, but I had fun. Maybe living with you won’t be as bad I thought.”

Casey smiled brightly and reached for him, giving him a hug. He shrunk away. “Case, when we live together you can’t just hug me,” he said with a raspy voice.

Casey nodded against his chest. “I know. I just wanted one good memory of you before hating you again,” she laughed gently. Derek gave in to her, he wanted her closer. The scent filled his nose, and the warmth of her body made him want to kiss her one time, but he pulled away slowly. They stared at each other, a whole conversation went by without speaking. One kiss. One hug. It would have to be enough, but as the moment lingered he realized it would be easier said than done.

* * *

Two months flew by with all the wedding preparations. The wedding day had arrived, and Casey was running around like a chicken without a head. She had taken on a lot of the planning, it helped her pour out all her feelings of confusion into the wedding. Derek had been on her mind every single moment of every day, and she tried to cling on to her hate. But she couldn't even hold on to that, so she wrote him one email, but he never responded. It racked her with nerves to know he read her words and was just acting like nothing was different.

_Derek,_

_I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for accepting to kiss you, it was a mistake. I know you are probably feeling the same, I just want to make sure there are no hard feelings between us. We did nothing wrong, we kissed before the wedding and we weren’t related in any way, but now we may have to face the consequences of our actions. I just hope we can go back to our normal selves._

Casey got ready mechanically: she wore a pale blue dress with a sweetheart neckline, pearl earrings, and necklace. She curled her hair into tight curls that softened her features. Her mom had been a nervous wreck all morning, and this was the only moment of peace she had. Derek and the kids were supposed to come over for the morning to ensure they were properly dressed since George had horrible fashion sense. She heard them downstairs, and heard Derek’s voice curl around her as he mocked the whole wedding process downstairs.

“I don’t see why anyone should care what I look like, I’m not the one getting married,” he complained, and she found herself smiling.

She heard Nora trying to keep a reasonable tone, and then she yelled for Casey to come down. She took a deep breath and went downstairs slowly. Derek was sitting on his chair watching tv. Everyone else was running around, going crazy. The noise was crazy but yet Casey couldn’t hear a thing. She stared at Derek and he slowly turned to look at her. There was no reaction on his face.

“Hi Derek,” she said with a bit of squeak. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”

Derek was very quiet and then he got up and muttered, “Great, you’re already telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. Won’t you ever stop be such a control freak?” He walked past her and went to his room leaving her with complete surprise.

Casey tried to tell herself it was what she should have expected , they did swear to go back to their old interactions, but she was appalled by how hurt she felt over his indifference. She put all her effort into helping Marty, Lizzie, and Edwin. Derek remained in his room, and Nora was staring at the clock freaking out.

“Casey, please go see what’s wrong with your new brother,” she begged. Casey felt revulsion at her calling him a brother.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to just barge in,” she reasoned, but seeing Nora’s wide-eyed expression was enough to make her hurry up the stairs. She stared at Derek’s door and knocked.

“Derek, open up, please.” Shuffling could be heard, and Derek opened the door. He looked so good dressed in his tuxedo. His dark eyes were so brilliant and the blue of his shirt made him look so sophisticated.

“Whatever happened to you avoiding me at all costs?” He asked surlily, “So far you have managed to tell me what to do, and you have come to my room, what do you want?”

Casey blinked in surprise, why was he acting so cold? “We are all ready to go, and you were taking a long time. I am just the messenger, no need to be so rude.” She crossed her arms. “You are really not extending the welcome wagon.”

Derek rolled his eyes and breathed exaggeratingly. “Oh I’m sorry princess, I forgot to pull out the red carpet in your honor,” he moved past her with a snort of derision.

“Derek wait,” she stared after him as he turned around. “You never responded to my email.”

Derek suddenly smirked, and she thought for a moment she saw a flash of remembering, but instead, he flippantly moved away, yelling over his shoulder “What email?”

* * *

Derek stood by his dad waiting for the ceremony to start. He was in a sour mood, and it was all Casey’s fault. He was angrier with himself, he had been the one with the idea of the kiss. He thought about her and that kiss more than he wanted to admit. He had gone out with other girls throughout the summer, but no one made him feel the way she did. He had been so wrong to assume one kiss would be enough to satisfy his curiosity, and now it was so strong it wet through him in surges. Seeing her in that dress made him weak in the knees, he had to get out of there before he did anything stupid. Being a jerk was the only way to successfully keep her at bay from now on, but oh how he wanted to just press her against the wall of his bedroom, and kiss her until she was breathless. He wanted to run his hands through those curls. He watched in mute fascination as Casey walked down the aisle, she smiled but avoided looking at him. However, when she stood across from him, he felt the pull of her gaze and finally looked at her. She didn’t smile, she seemed rather conflicted with something but still kept her fixation on him. Derek forced himself to look elsewhere. The ceremony was beautiful, and Derek had to remind himself this was worth putting aside his fixation on Casey. At most it was only a crush, he would surely get over it eventually, wouldn’t he?

Later that evening, Derek sat beside Casey at the restaurant. She was sobbing about how beautiful the wedding was and he wanted to comfort her, but instead, he rolled his eyes. “Casey, I’m allergic to tears, especially yours. Please go cry somewhere else,” he laughed as he threw some breadcrumbs at her.

She blotted her eyes, turning to look at him with betrayal. “Derek, why are you so insensitive?” The tears continued to come out, it seemed it wasn’t all about the wedding, Derek’s attitude was hurting her. His indifference had been like a knife all day, and now using the wedding as an excuse was the only way she could explain her babbling and tears, and Derek didn't care. Not even a little bit.

Derek snickered as he drank away his exhausting thoughts. “It’s my “welcome to the family”, you knew what you were getting into and decided not to go through the disengagement operation, therefore it’s your fault. This is what you chose.”

Casey jolted him in the ribs, “I did not choose to be treated like this, Derek. I demand an explanation,” she stood up hastily and grabbed his hand.

“What are you doing?” he breathed, but somehow he followed her lead.

“You and I are going to go hash this out, I will not endure any more of this Derek.” Her hand seized his in a powerful grip, for such a feminine looking girl she was quite strong. She led him outside and as soon as they were away from the crowds she slapped his shoulder.

“What is the matter with you? Why are you being such a jerk?” she demanded. “I thought after everything that happened at least we could be friendly, why Derek?”

He felt the emotions rising in him in jolts. “Nothing happened Casey, it was just a kiss. A pity kiss, an act of charity on my part. This is who I am and nothing is going to change that dynamic. Sorry to burst your fantasy bubble, but this is who I am.”

Casey didn’t believe him, and somehow found the strength to speak up. “I think you are lying to yourself. And you can try to verbally hurt me all you want, but I know I got to see glimpses of the real you. This is all an act, I see right through it.” Challenge rose in her eyes and Derek caught himself starting to lose grip. Damn she was smart.

Casey's eyes roamed over his face, he wasn't even touching her but he felt the touch of her gaze to the very core. “Der, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I don’t know what’s going on but I can’t think, I can’t sleep, or eat. All I keep doing is thinking about your stupid face. And then I see you again, and you treat me like a pariah, like a leach on the bottom of your foot. Why are you being such a jerk,” her voice wavered, and tears were running down her face.

Derek felt everything implode around him, he couldn't handle tears, especially Casey's. “I can’t be nice to you ever again. Please try to understand,” he pleaded, but she kept prodding.

“Don’t be so dramatic Derek, us getting along will not kill you!” He couldn’t think anymore and then ceased her by the shoulders.

“Yes it could very well kill me,” he said through gritted teeth. She could tell he was wrestling with something and she was going to pull it out. The only way she could think of was to try to kiss him again, so she moved forward, cupping his face. Her mouth came closer until he snapped.

“Casey, I wanted to kiss you so I could prove that I only liked you since I couldn’t have you,” he suddenly pulled her into him, tightly embracing her and she immediately hushed, looking at him longingly. “Turns out, that I may have actual………feelings for you. There I said it, but nothing can happen. We both agreed on that, but I can’t be nice to you, I don’t trust myself around you. If I tease you and prank you it means I am doing everything to keep you away from me so I don’t do something stupid.”

Casey felt overwhelmed, she understood the issue but she was having a hard time remembering why they couldn’t be together. He was so alluring, and being in his arms felt like nothing else in the world. “Derek, I felt something too and it scared me. I know you want to put it behind you, and I know we should too. I just want one more kiss, and maybe a dance. It’s just I never expected to feel this way about you. I feel so sad that you and I will have to bury these feelings from now on, it breaks my heart.” She touched his face, and he leaned into her touch, giving in to a moment of weakness. But after a moment he pulled away.

“No, Casey, there cannot be another kiss or anything else. It would kill me to stop, don’t you understand? Maybe in five years, if we still feel the same we could attempt it, once we move out of our house, but in the meantime, we can’t. You should date other people, and I will date other people because we have to find a way to move on if possible. We need to go forward as if that kiss never happened, for both our sanity sakes. Once we live in the same house, we are never to hug or have any physical proximity, please Casey I couldn’t take it.”

Casey shook her head stubbornly, coming closer and she wrapped her arms around him and leaned up to kiss him. She kissed him tenderly, slowly, seeking just a moment of solace, a moment of peace. A moment of fantasy in a very harsh reality. His front didn’t last long, and he swept her up against him, and kissed her harder, more infinitely wickedly until her senses were clouded. His mouth, she wanted to remember the sounds he made, the feel of his mouth, the strength of his hands, the warmth of his breath. She wanted to inhale his essence. After some time he pulled away, breathing harshly against her neck.

“Case, you are without a doubt the most infuriating person ever, do you ever listen to anyone?”

Casey felt the butterflies in her stomach, “No, I will never listen to you. And that’s how you know I care, if I am picking a fight with you, if I’m trying to get your attention, If I make up house rules that is me showing you I care. The moment I start to listen to you and start having reasonable discussions will mean that you no longer mean anything to me. Fighting is in our passion Derek, and since that’s how you’re choosing to show you care then that’s how I will reciprocate. We’ll fight until we’re blue in the face, but underneath we’ll know. We will know what this all means,” she took his hand and kissed his palms. “And maybe one day down the road, maybe there will be a chance again, and I understand that. But all we have is tonight, please Derek. Just be with me for one night.”

Derek looked down at her, knowing the next few years he would be tormented. However, knowing she would be around, that they would be in each other’s lives made the pain of this a little more bearable. Derek needed Casey, and for the second time, he let his guard down. He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, wanting to remember the taste of her skin. She wilted in his arms as he kissed her neck, his hands went up and down her body in shivering movement. His mouth consumed hers, and the kiss ignited. He wanted to steal Casey’s lips, they were so lush, so sexy, so full and soft and he was dying in need. They gave in to the moment of passion, absolving into oblivion. The knowledge that the next day they would have to act like stepbrother and sister made the kiss so devastatingly blissful. He held nothing back and it resulted in complete heady obsession. Casey became sponge absorbing everything Derek could give her, and she was storing it in her heart greedily. She didn’t want to waste a moment, she knew this would be something she would dream about for years.

After some time, Casey pulled back and started swaying with him, dancing in the spot where they kissed. “I just don’t want this moment to end,” she said through bitter tears. Derek smiled at her, letting the dance take over.

“It will never be over, just maybe something we can look forward to,” he said reassuringly as they danced the night away. They knew they would have to return to the restaurant, people would miss them and come looking, but they stayed in that moment a little long, suffused in each other’s nearness. They touched, kissed, held hands, hugged, and danced a little longer.

“Derek,” she said sadly, “I hope you know I love you. Please promise me you’ll never forget it.” She looked up into his dark eyes, they were so tender and sad.

He stroked her head softly. “I love you too, maybe one day we’ll be able to be in this same place, at a wedding.” He said suggestively.

“Really?” Casey said with adoration, “You can’t be sure you’ll want me by the time we are able to do that.”

Derek tucked a loose stray behind her ear. He didn’t understand how she had stolen his heart by just seeing her two times in total, but if he had managed to fall in love with her so quickly, then being around her for years was bound to make him fall deeper and deeper in love until it becomes the very core of his being.

He smiled at her and winked “How much do you want to bet?”

The sound of Mexican music could be heard in the background, and Casey and Derek stared at each other as their parents recounted the story of how they met. Casey smiled shyly at Derek throughout, no one had truly known the extent of how their relationship started, and a blush went over her face. It had been years since the aftermath of the disengagement operation, and Derek hadn't brought up the incident, not once. When she found out that their parents had kept them apart as long as possible, she felt outraged.

Casey caught herself saying out loud "I can't believe it, you kept us apart for months." Months. She caught Derek's gaze and he looked just upset. She could have had more time with him. She would have taken a couple of months of being with him knowing the outcome was to end it at some point. She would have gladly taken the heartbreak, but at least she would have had more memories to hold on to. She couldn't help feel emotional. Derek gave her a sweet, comforting look that made her feel as if he was hugging her.

The truth was that incident was laid to rest a long time ago, but somehow Casey got lost in the memory of it. Derek had gone on to date Sally, and others, and she had dated several people. Did he still feel anything for her? They had fought nonstop for years, she had been jealous of every single relationship he was in, and he had acted jealous many times before. Now Derek looked at her with fondness, and they shared a few hidden glances throughout the evening. When the family started dancing, he looked at her over the table and danced in his chair, but he kept his eyes glued on her as if they were dancing together from a distance and she had laughed despite herself. After dancing around with the family, Casey was making her way to her bedroom, when Derek pulled her aside. 

He was quiet for a moment, but his mouth formed a breathtaking smile. "I've never forgotten. And I don't expect I ever will." Those dazzling eyes robbed her of words, and she had to fight the urge to kiss him. The memory had been dormant for so long, but having it brought up made her tremble with need. His words were so simple, but beautiful and felt a renewed sense of hope. She would give anything to have a moment like that with him again.

"I haven't forgotten either," Casey said with sadness, she could feel the moroseness in her voice."We really did have a unique start didn't we?"

Derek could only nod, a glimmering smile went over his face. He had thought of that night often, how could he forget? He still felt all those emotions, except they were so much more intense now. It had been a wonder he hadn't snapped all these years since there were definitely many close encounters. Now she looked at him with the same longing, and it took his breath away. Knowing she felt the same filled him with excitement. He had questioned over the years if she had moved on. if she truly had forgotten their few moments of passion. He gave in to a moment of weakness and held her hand. She gave him a sweet smile as she held on tight to him, knowing very shortly they would have to go back to pretending.

"We sure did, which is why I know we could have a unique ending still if that's what you want," he said lightly. Casey didn't have to respond, he knew the answer already. They shared a last look filled with longing, sadness, but also hope. One year left of being at home, and maybe they could revisit this. Maybe one day.

Authors note: If you would like a continuation of this story, like a leap five years, let me know! Hope you enjoyed this story :)


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